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How many times has sambar been mentioned in this blog? One too many. And there will be more. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I say sambar is iconic to Tamil Nadu. Sambar is as Tamilian as marinara is Italian. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, this lentil gravy somehow finds its place on the table. Starting your day with idli, dosa, pongal or upma with a side of steaming hot sambar, is enough boot to get one through mid-day. Or rice mixed with sambar, and eaten with any vegetable is a well-balanced lunch or dinner.

What is the reason for this never dying popularity? Because its simple, easy, tasty and most importantly filling. There are countless ways to prepare it and with readymade sambar powder, it can done in a snap. If you don’t like sambar, chances are, you haven’t tasted the right kind.

You have seen idli and dosa here. Let me introduce the next in line – vadai or vada. How do I explain it? Lets see, it is a savoury dumpling made out of lentils. Fluffy urad batter is minimally seasoned, fried and served with sambar or chutney.

Sambar vadai is a slight variation, where warm vadas are soaked in hot sambar. The crispy dumpling instantly absorbs the gravy like a sponge. Sambar vadai is delicate like a cloud and melts the moment it touches your mouth. Ah! Culinary nirvana.

Ulundhu Vadai (Urad Vada)(serves 2)

Making vadai is almost straightforward. Almost, because it takes a little practice to shape it properly. The key is to add very little water while grinding. Don’t lose heart if you can’t get it right. Just drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil. Fried dough tastes great no matter how it is shaped.

Soak urad dal for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and grind with salt to a smooth paste. Add water by tablespoons only if necessary. Add green chillies, ginger and curry leaves.

Heat oil over medium heat in a kadai or a wide vessel. Take care that the oil is at least 1-inch deep.

Take the plastic sheet (like Ziploc bag) or banana leaf and wipe with water. Take about ¼ cup of dough on the sheet. Dampen your fingers, slightly flatten the dough and put a hole in the middle. This ensures that the dough gets cooked through. Gently transfer the shaped dough to the oil and deep fry till its golden brown.

Serve warm vadai as such for snacks or soak in hot sambar for 2 minutes and then enjoy, garnished with chopped raw onions, cilantro and/or chopped tomatoes.

(serves 4 when served on the side, serves 2 when served as main or when gobbled by the cup)

The recipe for sambar is almost the same as the one here, but for a few changes. Even though the quantity here serves four, make extra. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days. Serve with rice, idli, dosa, upma… well, you get the idea.

Heat oil and roast coriander seeds through coconut and grind with onion and tomato to a smooth paste. Alternately, you can grind 2 tbsp of sambar powder (homemade or store-bought) with onion and tomato.

In a sauce pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds and lightly sauté shallots or red onions with curry leaves. The onions should turn just soft, but still crunchy. Remove and set aside.

In the same pot, boil tamarind paste, salt and the remaining 1 tsp of turmeric powder with 2 cups of water. When tamarind doesn’t smell raw anymore, add the cooked dal, ground spice paste and a cup of water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add sautéed onions and garnish with cilantro.

For serving sambar vadais, soak warm vadais in hot sambar for 2 minutes. Serve garnished with chopped raw onions, cilantro and tomato. No place for forks here, only spoons to scoop the drunken vada.

nice pics...u took those? what camera do u use. oh forget the camera , could you get those vadai to the chennai blogger meet. see , now we have more reasons to invite you. :) Hi, i'm BG and i'm with indiblogger.in , it is a directory of indian blogs. We have organized blogger meets in Bangalore,Pune, Hyderabad and Mumbai and the next one is scheduled to happen in Chennai on the 8th of June 2008.

please visit www.indiblogger.in , register your yummy blog and sign up for the event.http://www.indiblogger.in/bloggermeet.php?id=9 and do bring something good to eat...kidding…actually no...:) Please make yourself free to participate in the blogger meet and do spread the word and invite your other blogging friends too.

A friend of mine once e-mailed us on the art of shaping a vadai - she even told us things like how the dough should only be shaped with the tips of the fingers and proceeded to give us measurements of fingers, etc! My favourite is curd vada!

That looks divine Sugs! We love Sambar at home and i sometimes make it atleast twice a week! The vadai and sambar look awesome, though i do love my ulundhu vadai with tengaa chutney... yummm! Your pictures look amazing as usual!

btw the tamilian sambar obsession is understated there in that opening paragraph - tamilians celebrate sambar - there is no end to food people here dunk in sambar - and the obsession doesn't stop at sambar - the sambar podi is used for like almost every other thing - i once even saw sambar pasta - and no i am not kidding - its like life doesn't exist without sambar :D

i quite like sambar but then its because i make sambar once may be twice in a month - kootu rules in my kitchen :D

"Fried dough tastes great no matter how it is shaped" -- hee hee! Truer words were never spoken, Suganya, and yours sure looks fabulous! Grinding sambhar powder with onion and tomato, that is totally new to me. Also the bit of moong dal in the mix. I am a sambhar addict. I must make this very soon, even without the yummy vadai! :)

I have had sambhar-vadai but never garnished with onion and tomatoes. They look too pretty for words.And does Arachu Vitta Sambhar mean anything special ?I have been hooked on to Sarvana Bhawan these days, and recently had mini idlys soaked in sambhar . The sambhar was more dal like than the usual sambhar they serve, I loved it though but was wondering if it is a separete sambhar that is made for such dunking

I have never tried grinding onion and tomato with the sambar. May be that will help me make the jump from my sambar to 'hotel' sambar. Also my vadais are usually bondas. I should try doing it on the plastic sheet next time. Lovely pics.

I love the "if you don't like sambar, chances are you haven't tasted the right kind!" :) I love sambar too & you're right it's an essential past of most South Indian cuisine! The photographs are beautiful, Suganya!

Thanks for such a wonderful blog and we found it very useful.When we look at your arachu vitta sambar recipe picture,it inspiring us to cook immediately.mouthwatering recipe and we like to make atonce.

In this recipe you have given toordal,tomato,onion in cup measurements.

//What is quantity of 1 cup in this recipe(1cup = howmuch ml).//

According to that we will make your spice mixture.As we are beginner in cooking,it will be helpful for us to make if we get the reply from u.We are looking forward for your reply very eagerly.Thank you.